New steakhouse owner in Solvang launches late-night hours and more

SOLVANG, Calif. - Nathan Peitso was born to cook.

"I'm cooking pork chops ... double cut as you can see," said the new owner and chef of Sear Steakhouse in Solvang.

Peitso ran Farm House at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. 

"Unfortunately we couldn’t weather the COVID storm. As so as many restaurants did, we had to close. And that left me at loose ends ... I didn’t know what to do," said Peitso.

The passionate chef found a new opportunity as the owner and chef of Sear Steakhouse in Solvang.

"And it’s in my favorite part of the world ... Santa Inez Valley … always wanted to live here … always loved coming up … and I love a steakhouse ... it’s my favorite type of restaurant," said Peitso.

"It is a small town … there’s not a lot to do especially late nights … so it’s great trying new things ... giving people just a few more options or places to go," said general managerl Brianna Jackson of Sear Steakhouse.

Peitso said the late night hours just launched a few days ago, and so far it’s been a hit. 

"It’s going well ... we’re a big talk of the town ... I think everybody knows about the new the ownership and everything ... it's different now but in a good way," said Jackson.

"We hope it’s going to be ... you know the pillar of the weekend nightlife for the community here ... we want to offer food and drinks till all hours of the night," said Peitso.

The Santa Barbara County wine country steakhouse, which initially opened in March 2021 under
previous ownership, is located in the heart of the Danish-settled village
along California's Central Coast.

Peitso's plans for the restaurant include a rebrand and name change in the
coming months to "Crawford's Steakhouse," in honor of his family name.

Sear's local farm relationships will continue to play a major role in the kitchen, as Peitso
sources from Santa Ynez Valley farms in addition to his family's Southern
California-based Kenter Canyon Farms.

As a second-generation, Californian farmer – and now, a Santa Ynez Valley
resident – Peitso intends to keep menu pricing accessible, relying on his
close network of fellow farmers, fisherman, and ranchers.

Peitso's immediate plan is the launch of “After Hours at Sear Steakhouse,” a late-night, weekend
bar program running 10:00 PM-1:30 AM.